Armed Conflict • International Law
Use of Force
837 Articles
Fragmented Wars: International Law and Multi-Territorial Conflict Against Non-State Armed Groups
The legal issues surrounding military operations against non-State armed groups abroad are continuing to generate policy and legal debates. In an article just published in International…
On the Precipice: The U.S. and Russia in Syria
A Russian air force Su-30 fighter jet in Syria. The United States and Russia have entered a new and dangerous moment. On Sunday, a U.S. fighter jet shot down a Syrian warplane.…
About that “Deconfliction Zone” in Syria: Is the United States on Firm Domestic and International Legal Footing?
The U.S. military has at least three times in recent weeks engaged in hostilities against pro-Syrian regime forces near the At Tanf garrison in southern Syria and shot down a pro-regime…
U.S. Secrecy and Transparency in the Use of Lethal Force
Much of the news in the first few months of the Trump administration has been dominated by the Russia scandal, James Comey, and the President’s Twitter feed. Falling below…
Delegating Commander-in-Chief Powers–Where to strike the balance
The Trump Administration is busy reconsidering the United States’ approach to counterterrorism, and its revised policies will assuredly reflect President Trump’s desire to…
Important Features of Senators Kaine and Flake’s Proposed War Authorization for ISIS–with Annotations
Just Security serves as a space for discussion of whether now and how exactly Congress should tailor legislation authorizing the Executive Branch to wage war against ISIS. On…
2 Points by Stephen Preston on a Congressional War Authorization for ISIS
Stephen Preston, former General Counsel to the CIA and to the Department of Defense, was a speaker at a recent Heritage Foundation event entitled, “Is it Time for Congress…
An ISIS AUMF: Where We Are Now, Where to Go Next, and Why It’s So Important to Get It Right
At a Heritage Foundation event on Monday, freshman Senator Todd Young (R-IN) told the audience “it is long past time for Congress to consider and pass an AUMF [authorization…
Reminder by Charlie Savage of Surveillance Implications of ISIS AUMF
Charlie Savage, correspondent for The New York Times and author of “Power Wars,” was a speaker at a recent Heritage Foundation event entitled, “Is it Time for…
Why Congress Should Not Add “Successor Organizations” in Authorizing War Against ISIS
Years from now, what organizations will be the successor entities to Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and ISIS? Of course nobody knows the answer, not even the groups themselves. With that…
Israeli Airstrikes in Syria: The International Law Analysis You Won’t Find
The United States engages in a one-off attack on a Syrian airbase and within a matter of days predictions of an end to international legal order as we know it are flying left and…
Changes to Rules of Engagement Approval Levels and Civilian Casualties
Anyone serious about combating ISIS and minimizing civilian casualties needs to consider the importance of the Rules of Engagement (ROE) in Iraq and Syria. We offer our thoughts…